


Sus-ception

by aristotle_chipotle



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Banter, Crack, Dark Comedy, Gen, Minor Violence, Murder, Murder Mystery, Short Chapters, Slow Descent Into Absolute Chaos, Suspense, Team Bonding, Video & Computer Games, goes about as well as you might expect, inceptgen, this is absolutely a joke but i'm going to enjoy every minute of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:46:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27472969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aristotle_chipotle/pseuds/aristotle_chipotle
Summary: Tasked with setting up subconscious training exercises for the team before the job, Ariadne gets the idea to design a world based on her new favorite video game.Six players. One imposter. All they have to do is vote the right person off. It's a test of instinct and intuition, and good practice for working as a team. But working as a team isn't easy when you're on an unstable spaceship straight out of a nightmare, and you don't know who you can trust.What could possibly go wrong?
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13
Collections: InceptGen





	1. Introduction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just nine short chapters of video game fun I did for the InceptGen Fest. I'm @oceans-foundfamily on tumblr :D

Maybe it was long nights in front of the drawing board, thinking and designing until her head ached, or maybe it was the coffee that seemed to be the only thing keeping her on her feet, but Ariadne needed a break.

It wasn't that the work was hard. It was an educational experience, and it was fun to a certain degree. She'd never had this kind of creative freedom before, or the tools to use it on such a large scale, but all good things eventually got tiring, especially with minimal sleep.

She could afford a distraction. They had more than enough time before the plan would be put into motion, and that was what she was there for. On top of the designs for the layers of the dream, there were also to weekly exercises Cobb had commissioned. Every week, a new fragment of a world for them to explore and practice in. It _was_ good practice, but it was always the same. Those too had gotten old quickly, and she mostly just wanted the whole thing over with.

She was running out of ideas.

And that was how, on Tuesday morning in the warehouse, Yusuf found Ariadne sprawled across two chairs in front of her work station, staring at a phone screen.

"Burned out?" he asked casually, setting his supplies down. There were still stacks of papers on her board, but they seemed untouched, and the next training period was only a few hours away.

She shrugged. "Just a little bit. I'm better now, though."

"I see. How are those designs coming?"

"One second."

She concentrated on the screen, biting her lip in serious thought. She typed something frantically, and then gave in with a defeated sigh, leaning back in the chair and shutting off the phone.

 _Bad news_ , Yusuf thought. Not ideal emotional circumstances for their architect. The last thing they needed was more emotional baggage.

But to his surprise, she started laughing and picked up the phone again, sitting up straight in the chair and re-adjusting her posture for another session of whatever it was she was doing.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, curious.

"Oh yeah, I just got ejected is all."

"You what?"

"This one guy saw me kill somebody, and he reported it, and I thought I could talk my way out of it, but they believed him and voted to have me executed."

There was a brief, tense silence. Ariadne looked up and saw the total horror on Yusuf's face, and quickly tried again.

"A _game_ ," she specified. "It's a video game. Have you never played Among Us?"

He shook his head. "No, but that sounds thrilling."

She pivoted in the chair to show him the screen. _Ari_ was a small, turquoise blob vaguely resembling an astronaut, with a pink flower adorning her head. Ariadne nodded proudly. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Fascinating," Yusuf mused. "And _this_ is what you've been doing all night?"

"Well, I ran out of ideas at around ten last night, and I went out and grabbed a coffee, and I took a walk to clear my head, and then I found this, and I've been playing it since."

Yusuf glanced out the window at the now-risen sun. "Since ten last night?"

"It's really good for focus, and I'm not bad at this. You should give it a try. Here, let me download it to your phone."

He stepped back reluctantly. "I don't know... the others will be here soon. Don't you need to get the training world started up?"

Ariadne groaned. "I don't have one."

"You still don't have a design?"

"I told you, I've got nothing. I've been trying to think of ideas all night, and I've got nothing."

"Ariadne, we need that practice. Especially on this kind of a job."

She glanced up at him over the phone. "Any suggestions?"

"Come on, this should be easy enough," said Yusuf, with the optimistic confidence of someone who'd never had to be an architect. "Just think of it like a video game. It's just like Among Us. Come up with a design and a set of goals for the players. This is probably one of the last ones anyway, and then we'll move on to the real thing."

Ariadne laughed. "It's a shame we can't just play video games. I mean, there's enough of us for a full game. We should make a Discord server or something."

She paused, her thumb hovering over the joystick.

"Hey, how about it?" she added, her tone rising with excitement.

"About what? I didn't mean literally. I meant you could use games as inspiration."

"No, you're right." She jumped up, moving to the drawing board and sketching out a blocky sort of maze. "How about a real challenge, huh? I'd say we have a few hours before everyone gets here. That's more than enough time for a basic design, and you can help me program in some features. Here." She tossed him the phone. "Get some practice in. This is going to be great."

Yusuf squinted at the astronaut, delicately touching the screen and watching it move in sync.

"You're sure about this?" he asked.

"Cobb asked for a game, right? I'm going to give him a game he'll never forget."

"Why is no one else's name red?" asked Yusuf.

"Oh." Ariadne smiled over at the phone, more than a little mischievously. "Here, let me show you what you have to do."


	2. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ariadne presents a challenge.

When Cobb opened the warehouse doors at eleven, he heard... laughing.

He knew Ariadne had pulled an all-nighter again, which wasn't advisable. He'd expected to find her collapsed against her drawing board, sleeping. But when he entered, she was sitting upright, another coffee in hand, laughing like a maniac and watching Yusuf do something with a computer. They had a speaker in the corner blasting something that sounded distinctly 80s.

But the chairs were arranged in a circle per usual, and the machines looked ready to go. Cobb couldn't complain, and he certainly wasn't going to object to happiness. He supposed he'd been wrong to worry about team morale.

Ariadne cheered when she saw him. "Welcome! Go ahead and have a seat."

Cobb tried to ignore the unsettling energy in the room.

"The others should be here within the next few minutes," he said. "Are you... ready?"

Yusuf and Ariadne laughed together. Cobb didn't like it.

"We're more than ready," said Ariadne. "The real question is, are _you?"_

Cobb had thought he was, but now he wasn't so sure.

Eames arrived, then Arthur and Saito, and to Cobb's relief, everyone displayed the same look of shock and mild confusion when they saw the setup. Yusuf and Ariadne's manner was better suited for a college party.

Cobb wondered if they'd spiked the coffee, but refused to believe in that level of unprofessional behavior when the stakes were this high.

Eames wondered if they'd spiked the coffee, and was considering asking Ariadne for some.

"Gentlemen," announced Ariadne finally, coming around to the other side of the desk. "I've taken the liberty of setting up for today's practice. It's going to be a little bit...different today."

Up until this point, she'd modeled the weekly work on Cobb's lessons with her. Cities inspired by cities, designed as an open world for interaction. This was the first one she'd taken in her own direction. She couldn't wait to share it.

Cobb shot a look at Yusuf, trying to make sure he'd okayed whatever was happening. Yusuf simply shrugged and smiled, taking his seat in the circle for Ariadne's introduction.

"Has anyone ever played Among Us?" she asked.

 _No_ was the overwhelming answer, as expected.

"Today's practice," she continued, "is a game. There are rules, and there are tasks. Your job is to complete all your tasks, and you win."

Saito laughed slightly. "That seems simple enough."

"Does it? Well, there's a catch." At this, Ariadne smiled with an expression that could only be described as devious. "One of you is an imposter, and you will have a set of fake tasks to work on. Your real task will be to kill the others one at a time and not get caught."

Cobb almost jumped up. Arthur caught his eye across the circle, mildly frightened.

"Hey," said Arthur, "you didn't mention murder."

"It's not real murder, it's just a game."

"Yeah, but..."

Ariadne put a finger over her lips. "Still explaining. If the crew finishes all their tasks, they win. If the imposter kills everyone, they win. That's simple, right?"

"I see," said Arthur, nervously. "So it's like Mafia?"

"It's like _And Then There Were None_ ," corrected Eames. "Agatha Christie."

"It's like _Danganronpa_ ," said Saito solemnly.

"It's-" Ariadne stopped short, turning. "You've heard of _Danganronpa_ but not Among Us?"

Saito shrugged.

"What exactly is the purpose of this particular _exercise?"_ asked Cobb, reluctant to call anything they did a _game_.

"Same as the rest of our little games. Team-building, strategy, trust."

"But we have to kill each other," said Cobb.

"Only one of you has to do any killing." Ariadne smiled sweetly. "It could be me. I won't tell. That would spoil the fun."

"How much sleep did you get last night?"

"Not important. We're running out of time. Let's get this done." Ariadne signaled to Yusuf to prepare the tech.

"Wait," Arthur objected. "We never... I mean, I'm not sure I want to..."

"Of course," said Ariadne. "I guess I have to ask: does anyone want to stay behind? You don't _have_ to participate if you don't want to."

"Scared?" teased Eames.

" _No_ ," said Arthur incredulously. "It's just... this sounds a little intense. Are you sure it's safe?"

Cobb sighed. "I have my reservations too, but it's not like things are going to get any easier when we do this for real. Maybe it's good that we're getting out of our comfort zone. We need to be prepared for anything."

Then, he added, "I've had to kill team members before as a strategy, and we can't do this unless everyone else is comfortable taking that risk."

He presented his arm for the serum, and as the others followed suit, Ariadne started handing out headphones, casually.

"A kick?" asked Arthur. "For everyone?"

"I'd call it more of a surround-sound experience," said Ariadne. "I have a carefully-curated playlist of sounds for certain...circumstances. Trust me, it'll be fun."

Cobb leaned back in his chair and waited for whatever was going to happen to happen, starting to wonder just how much he'd underestimated their youngest team member and her antics.

Yusuf was going under too. There was no one on the surface curating this. Ariadne must have programmed it all into the dream. Conditional statements, just like computers. It was pretty impressive, if she could pull it off.


	3. The Skeld

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Each team member gets a role. Five are ordinary crew members. One is an imposter.

The first sensation was cold, then darkness, and then there was a low, dull rattling like industrial machinery. Then, Cobb centered himself on the scene, and became aware of his body again.

He was standing upright in a metal room. It was cold and quiet, except for that same rattling that haunted the place. It was a steady thumping of engines, like a pulse. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness.

It was brighter on one side of the room, and there was an exit door frame into a hallway with ceiling lights. The air smelled sterile. He could hear people talking, and he followed the sound down the hall, squinting in the sudden change of light.

As he neared the end of the hall, it all came flooding back. This, he remembered, was a dream. Not his, but Ariadne's. It was unlike any he'd ever seen. There was no open air or skyline. The air smelled canned, like an airplane cabin, and it was all compact. He was grateful not to be claustrophobic.

In the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of red, and realized that it was his own reflection in the smooth surface of the wall. He looked down at himself, at his hands, and found his clothes replaced with something resembling a space suit without the helmet. It was a ruddy color with signs of wear and distress. All the evidence would tell him he'd been in it for a while, but everything was so confusing.

He almost jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned, and there was Arthur, identically dressed but royal blue.

"Well, she certainly outdid herself," laughed Arthur.

"Where are we supposed to go?"

"My guess? There." Arthur pointed to the brightly-lit room ahead.

The hallway opened into a bright room, large and filled with tables. The center-most table was already occupied. There sat Ariadne, waving for them to join her. Yusuf leaned against the table, eyes on the large, red panic button in the center. Cobb couldn't help but admire the detail, but at the same time, he dreaded to know what the button was for, or why they were dressed like astronauts. The pounding of the engine...this was a ship.

"We're in space," he gasped.

Ariadne grinned and adjusted the headband she'd given herself, adorned with a single silk flower, bright fuchsia in contrast with her sky-blue uniform. "We're in space, on a spaceship. Nice deduction."

"Why space?"

"It adds a sense of urgency, I think," Yusuf chimed in. "Think about it. We're all confined in this tiny space, thousands of miles from civilization. We have no choice but do what needs to be done. We have nowhere to go. Isn't it poetic?"

"Hello?"

Another voice echoed off the metal walls. Eames appeared in the opposite entrance to the cafeteria. Then, Saito, from a third door, looking slightly dazed. White, Cobb noted, and black, respectively. Yusuf's was a bright green. They were color-coded for some reason. One by one, they gathered around the table, multiple pairs of eyes resting on the flashing red button, protected only by a glass box on a hinge.

"So," Cobb confronted Ariadne, who looked smug, "this is unexpected."

"But all part of the plan," she said. "First order of business. See that up there?"

She pointed to the wall behind her, which was marked with a large black bar, some kind of meter.

"That's our task bar. As we complete more and more tasks, it'll start turning green. When the bar is completely green, the crew wins."

"Huh," said Arthur. "What are the tasks?"

"That's the next order of business."

She reached under the table and revealed some kind of black box, which she shook a few times before opening. Inside were a handful of small, white envelopes, which she extended to the group.

"Hands in," she said. "Take one. Don't open it yet."

"It's a clever bit of design," said Yusuf proudly. "Inside, you'll find a card with your role on it. Five will announce you as a crew member. One will announce you as imposter. Pay attention. It'll only show it for a few seconds."

"After that," Ariadne continued, "the card will show you your tasks. If you're the imposter, your tasks won't contribute to the progress bar. They're just for you to use as a cover. Is that clear?"

There was a general murmur of understanding.

"On three," said Ariadne, thumbing the seal on her envelope. "One... Two... _Three_."

Cobb inhaled and opened his, reading the contents. Then, thinking quickly, he glanced up over the card to read the others' faces for any sort of emotional tell. Ariadne smiled cheerfully. Yusuf nodded. Arthur made no perceptible change in expression. Eames raised his eyebrows. Saito frowned, but no more so than usual. They were good, Cobb thought.

One of them was now the imposter.

When Cobb looked back down at his card, the message had vanished. Now, there was only a list of about ten things, relatively short.

"Everyone knows who they are and what they have to do," said Ariadne. "I guess we should get going."

"Wait!" said Yusuf. "Don't forget about the imposter's abilities."

"Right. So, as the imposter, you have the ability to instantly travel between certain rooms with vent panels. If you just touch it, the dream will respond and transport you. You can also sabotage the ship's features if you're in the right room. Everyone sees their utility belt, correct?"

They all looked down. On every suit there was a set of tools. A small black box with a switch, like some kind of radio. A utility knife in a sheath. A piece of paper, rolled up. A gun in a holster, equipped with a silencer.

"The radio," said Ariadne, "is for calling in a body. If you find someone dead, phone it in. If you have any other reason to suspect someone, use this red button here to call a meeting."

Yusuf cleared his throat. "The knife can be used for some of the tasks as a multi-purpose tool, but you're free to use it however you like."

"Map," said Ariadne, tapping the paper. "You don't want to get lost."

"And the guns," added Yusuf, "are all loaded with unlimited ammunition. Of course, you won't be doing any killing if you're not the imposter. That would be counter-intuitive."

Cobb stood up. "How about if the imposter decides not to kill anyone? What if they don't want to risk it? When you think about it, the crew... _we_ have them vastly outnumbered."

"It can be done," said Ariadne. "And it would be an impressive feat. Wouldn't you just like to try, and prove you could?"

Something about the glint in her eye rubbed Cobb the wrong way. _Surely she doesn't suspect me_ , he thought, but he really couldn't say. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

There was an imposter among them. That much was certain.


	4. Tasks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Dom start to work on their tasks, and Ariadne makes a discovery.

Ariadne moved first, undaunted by the unknown possibilities. Not needing the map for guidance, she strolled out of the cafeteria to what the others assumed was her first task. Either that, or she was preparing for something else...

Yusuf stood up and stretched. "I'll be in comms if anyone needs me. I have to go divert some power."

Eames consulted his map thoughtfully, then glanced up from Cobb to Arthur to Saito. They were the remaining four at the table.

Cobb glanced at the door that Ariadne had left through. Then, lowering his voice and turning back to the table, "it's not me. You can be sure of that."

Eames scoffed. "Really? That sounds like something an imposter would say."

Cobb glared. "Oh you're accusing people already? We've barely started."

"I didn't accuse anyone. I'm just saying that you can say you're not the imposter just as easily as the imposter could. _Anyone_ can. We can't go by that. Watch."

And with that, Eames stood up on the table and loudly announced, "I AM NOT THE IMPOSTER."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Can we just play like sane people? You can point fingers all you want, but I'm going to go do some tasks."

He stood up, then paused, and turned to Cobb.

"Maybe it's best if we team up, so if something happens, we can vouch for each other, y'know?"

Cobb was torn between not wanting to set foot outside the cafeteria and wanting to run and hide, but he took a deep breath and stood up, looking at his card. The first item was _fuel engines_.

"It says that's in storage," he said. "Any tasks in storage, Arthur?"

Arthur stared intently at his card. "Ah, yes. I have to do something with wires, apparently."

They exited the cafeteria, leaving Eames and Saito discussing the map. It was really a fantastic design, Cobb thought. Ariadne must have played whatever game she'd been obsessing over for a while to get the layout down this solidly. Down to the left of the way they'd come was another bright hall, and through a door, some kind of quarters. They could have continued to storage more directly, but Arthur insisted they explore, just in case they needed to know the layout later.

"It's a medical bay," he said, stepping inside. "Look. There's some kind of science equipment over there."

"Might be useful," said Cobb.

"Hopefully not."

"What do you mean?"

Arthur laughed. "If the imposter gets me alone, I want them to do it quick. I don't want to end up in here with people trying to stitch me up."

"Understandable." Cobb shuddered at the thought. He figured the reality was still sinking in. Ariadne had made this all in good fun, but someone among them had the ability to kill, or to severely injure the others. He doubted that that person would have the guts to make an immediate move, but there was the possibility...

"You okay?"

Cobb glanced up. Arthur was looking concerned.

"Fine," he replied.

"You looked kind of sick there for a second."

"I'm fine, it's just..."

"Creepy, right?" Arthur laughed. "I don't like this place one bit. If Ariadne wanted to scare us, she did a good job."

"That," said Cobb, "and the fact that one of us is a murderer, or will be if they do everything correctly."

"It's just a game," said Arthur. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure it'll be over before we know it." Then, he added with an optimistic note, "Hey, the sooner we finish our tasks, the sooner we can get out of here. Let's get to that storage room. We're safe if there's two of us. If one dies, the other can report it and we'll win."

Encouraged, but only slightly, Cobb followed him out of the med bay and back into the hall. The pounding, mechanical pulse below their feet rose to a frenzy as they found the engine, a copper monolith that roared like a waterfall. Another left took them down a long, darker hall with two doors on either side. Arthur stopped short before the doors--combat-clearing etiquette they'd practiced so many times before--and signaled for them each to check a different side. All the caution felt silly to Cobb so soon in the game, but he didn't want a bullet in the back any more than anyone else. He took a deep breath and glanced to the right.

"Some kind of generator," he said. Then, checking the map, "No, it's a reactor."

Arthur winced. "That sounds safe," he said in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Other side?"

Arthur turned. The room was dark as night, with the only glow coming from a large computer monitor on the far wall. Arthur froze as he saw a human figure silhouetted in the glow. He knocked on the wall, and the figure turned.

"Who's there?"

"Arthur," said Arthur. "And Dominick." He turned to Cobb with relief. "It's just Yusuf."

"Oh?"

"Come in!" called Yusuf. "Check this out!"

They entered and approached the monitors. They were surveillance cameras, trained on key locations on the ship. Cobb looked at the screen, watching for movement. All he saw was Ariadne, passing through a hallway somewhere else and turning.

"We can keep an eye on things from here, if need be," said Yusuf. "In fact, I think I'll head back here when I finish my tasks. It'll be good to have an eye in the sky in case anyone starts lying too hard."

"Right." Arthur nodded. "Smart move."

"Where are you boys headed?"

"Storage," said Cobb. "I have to refuel engines."

"Great. Finish up quick and we'll all rendezvous here. It'll be safer."

 _Safer_ , Cobb thought, _assuming Yusuf isn't just planning on taking us both out in one go._

***

In storage, they found a fuel canister with a nozzle, and Cobb took it to the top and bottom engines while Arthur opened the wiring panel and tried to figure out what the problem was. It took multiple trips for the fuel, and when it was done, Cobb felt exhausted and his hands ached even through the suit's thick gloves.

"Done?" called Arthur.

"Done," he sighed, crouching on the floor for a moment to take a break. "Did you figure out that wire puzzle?"

"It's simple enough. You just have to connect the colored ones and then power it back on. Works like a charm." Arthur shook some stiffness out of his hands. "Those are some tiny-ass wires, though. I need better tools."

No one had come into the storage room since they'd entered, and when Cobb had passed the reactor on the way to the upper engine, Yusuf was in there also doing something electrical. The place had gone dead silent since the game started.

"We should keep going," said Arthur. "I have multiple wire box locations listed on my card, and the next one's in the electrical room. That's just one over. Got anything in electrical?"

Cobb nodded. "It says something about calibrating a distributor."

"Let's go, then."

If storage was unsettling, electrical was worse. The empty space of the hollow room only amplified the static humming of the various machines and generators. Cobb found the distributor from the information on his card, and got to work.

"The key," said Arthur, more to himself than to Cobb, "is to really dig in there for the wires. They tend to be tucked away, but they're colorful, so they're easy to find. Ugh, this one's stuck. Hang on, I'll just..."

Cobb glanced up just as Arthur removed his utility knife from his belt and pointed the metal blade into the wire box. It was too quick for him to have given it any thought, and Cobb could barely yell to alert him to stop, before there was a dull hum that crackled into a zapping strike, erupting like a firecracker in a shower of sparks, and the knife flew across the room, propelled by unseen forces. It slammed against the wall with a thud and clattered to the floor.

"Oh," said Arthur, jumping back out of the way. "Whoops."

He crossed the room to retrieve the knife.

"Any damage?" Cobb laughed nervously, trying not to think about how that knife might have been Arthur, if he hadn't caught that lower-grade current before getting into the main wires.

Arthur held up the knife and folded in the blade. "The handle is cracked. If I'm the imposter, I won't be doing any killing with this."

"I would hope the imposter wouldn't go for a knife when they have a perfectly good gun on hand." Cobb shuddered and turned back to the distributor.

While Arthur continued to fiddle with wires in a safer manner, Cobb took the opportunity to study the map. There was an entirely new set of rooms on the other side of storage. There was a navigation hub and a lab for oxygen. The other crew members could really be anywhere in a place as big as this.

Cobb checked his task card. His next task was in a room across the ship. He had to do something with the shields.

"Hey, Arthur," he started to ask, but his question was cut short when a sudden buzzing filled the air, followed by crackling static, and then, all of a sudden, the lights went out.

The room plunged into darkness. Cobb dropped the map and fumbled with his tool belt, only to remember that he had no flashlight.

"Arthur?"

"Cobb? Are you still there?"

There was a clicking sound and a dull _thump_ , and he tried to listen in the chaos for Arthur's voice.

"What happened to the lights?" Cobb gasped.

More scuffling. It sounded like Arthur fell over.

"I'm fine," Arthur called. "I'm okay."

In the corner of the room, a red glow grew brighter, forming around a metal box with a universal symbol glowing on the front: a lightning bolt. Electricity. They had to fix it.

"Over there," said Arthur. Cobb felt his hand against his shoulder, steering him over to the box. Together, they managed to get it open. Inside were several switches, labeled _emergency power restart_. Quickly, they flipped them all into the upright position. There was a _click_ , and then light came flooding back into the room. They breathed a sigh of relief.

"You did it!" A new voice rang out in electrical, and they turned to see Ariadne standing there in the doorway, wiping sweat off her face with her sleeve. "I just came from the admin room. Good job finding the power box."

"What happened?" asked Arthur.

"Well it seems that whoever is the imposter just figured out how to sabotage our functions. That's bad news for us," Ariadne sighed. "If they can get the lights, they can also get... well, I won't tell you. It's best to keep that a secret. You never know who might be listening."

"We'd better make sure Yusuf is okay," said Cobb.

"Where is he?" asked Ariadne.

"That camera room," Arthur said.

Ariadne led the way out of electrical, and they walked down the hall. She jogged ahead and turned the corner into security, peering into the dark room.

"It's okay," she called. "We got the power back."

There was no reply. She cast one more glance over her shoulder at Cobb and Arthur before entering the room. 

The silence was icy before her scream pierced it.

They broke into a run, and had only just burst into security when Ariadne flipped the switch on her radio and the signal went out, echoing through the ship's intercom.

_"Please return to the cafeteria immediately for an emergency meeting. A body has been reported."_


	5. Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *ding dong dong ding* A BODY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED!

Before Cobb knew it, he was in the cafeteria. It must have been an addition to the design of it--the instant travel. There they all were, at the table once again, and it couldn't have been more than a few hours. He'd expected more time.

Ariadne was quieter, no longer gleeful in her design and taunting the new players. Maybe there was a flash of regret in her eyes when she took her place at the table, the radio still clutched in her shaking hand. It was different, seeing a real body.

She didn't have to say who it was--the lack of the chemist at the table was glaringly obvious--but she did, steadily and softly.

"I... we were in the electrical room fixing the lights," she said. "And we went to security to check on Yusuf after the power came back on, but when I got there, he was shot dead by the computer. He'd... I guess he'd been watching the cameras, and someone came in and shot him."

Cobb watched her carefully. He wanted to be sympathetic to her obvious shock at seeing a kill so soon, but he couldn't push away the nagging suspicion that she was a fantastic actress. Had the scream been real? He wasn't sure. She'd never struck him as someone who screamed, but situations like this could bring out hidden nature in people. No, he thought. She seemed to genuinely worried to be the imposter.

Saito spoke next. "So now what? We try to find a murderer among us? How?"

"Clues," said Arthur, "and testimonies. And I will start by saying that it couldn't have been Dom. He's safe, because he was with me in electric when the power went out."

"Right," said Cobb. "Ariadne too. She discovered it, but she said she came from the admin room."

"She _said_ ," said Eames, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you mind?" snapped Arthur. "Someone's dead here. We need to gather as much evidence as possible before we start pointing fingers at anyone."

"Fine words coming from someone whose first move was to defend himself, when no one had even accused him yet."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guys," said Ariadne. "It's a game, remember? It's not a crisis. No one's actually dead. Yusuf just woke up, and he's waiting for us now. All we have to do is finish. That's how we win."

Arthur relaxed. Eames sighed.

"You saw the body," said Saito calmly. "Where was he and where was the wound? Maybe we need to do an examination."

"No use," said Ariadne. "Yusuf helped me build it so the bodies disappear after the report. I didn't think to look closely, but there couldn't have been a struggle. He was still sitting in the chair in front of the cameras. Whoever did it, he didn't even know they were there. They snuck up behind him and did it quietly."

"Maybe we can't examine the body," Eames suggested, "but we can check the area for hints. Maybe the murderer dropped something."

"Imposter," said Ariadne.

"What?"

"Imposter, not murderer. If you're going to play my game, you have to use the jargon."

Eames laughed. "Fine. Any objections to a crime scene investigation before we pick someone to execute?"

"Technically," said Ariadne, "we don't have to eject anyone yet. We can skip the vote if there isn't enough evidence."

Arthur frowned. "We're down to five. Why not just all wait the imposter out in the cafeteria?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"I'm not thinking about fun," said Arthur, "I'm thinking about the survival of the four innocent people in this room."

***

The security room was now empty, and in the dim light, they took to looking for clues.

"It's a shame he disappeared," sighed Saito. "If we could have examined him more closely, we could have analyzed the angle of attack and possibly gotten a rough idea of the imposter's height and weight, and their dominant hand."

The group was silent for a minute.

"Wow," said Arthur.

"What? It's basic forensics."

You know," said Eames, "I was mostly joking about the crime scene investigation, but that's got to be the sexiest thing I've ever heard."

Ariadne cleared her throat loud enough to get everyone's attention. "I don't think that the body is going to be necessary. Look."

The computer monitor, which had been functional with multiple displays earlier, was now cracked and flickering. In the center, at about the level of a person's head if they'd been sitting in the chair, was a clean hole.

"Ooh," winced Eames. "Right through, huh? Bloody hell."

Saito analyzed it for a moment, then took a few deliberate strides behind the chair, calculating something. He took another step back. The others watched him think, the flickering, artificial light casting strange shadows on his face.

"Right from behind," he said. "Huh."

Arthur shook his head. "Behind? That doesn't make sense."

"Well they couldn't very well shoot him from the front, darling," said Eames.

"No, I mean, if they were looking to make a fast getaway, why come all the way into the room?"

"Exactly," said Saito. "Anyone with sense and experience would do it from the doorway and run, and then the shot would have been at an angle, and more of the screen would have been shattered than just that single hole." He turned to the darkest part of the room at his back. "They would have been standing there, or closer, to make the shot."

"And all this means what?" asked Ariadne.

"My guess?" said Saito. "An inexperienced marksman." He smiled. " _Or_ markswoman."

"Of course," said Arthur. "Someone who hadn't handled a weapon enough to be positive they could make the shot from..." He marched slowly across the room from the chair, taking large steps. "Four meters. Not much of a distance, but if you've got an unsteady hand..."

All eyes turned to Ariadne.

"Wait a minute," she said, stepping back defensively. "Is this supposed to be evidence against _me?_ Is that what this is?"

"I didn't say that," said Arthur. "I'm just saying that Dom and I have experience with guns. Eames too, and judging by his analysis, so does Saito. I doubt an architecture student has much of a reason to carry."

"Anyone could have taken a couple steps forward before shooting," Ariadne countered.

"And anyone could have engineered the blackout to prevent them from being seen while they shot Yusuf, ran a loop through the cafeteria to come from the other side, and found Arthur and I in electrical and pretended like you were running to fix the lights," said Cobb coldly. "In case you thought we weren't paying attention."

"You can't afford to lose crew members this soon," said Ariadne. "You can't eject me with just a hunch for evidence."

"So we won't," said Eames casually. "Like it or not, she's right. We need solid evidence, or we're as good as helping the imposter win. Solid claims or nothing."

Ariadne crossed her arms and stared at Cobb.

"But," added Eames, "we'll call this strike one."

***

_No one was ejected. (Skipped)_


	6. Oxygen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The imposter is sabotaging things again, whoever they may be.

Which one of them would kill and win at it? That was what Cobb wondered. It wasn't a question of who was capable of killing. He didn't doubt that any of them could do what needed to be done in a pinch. No, the question was about body language, tells, and the slightest change in mannerisms that might be a clue, where there were no physical clues left behind from Yusuf's murder.

Whoever had pulled it off was either extremely lucky, or extremely clever.

He thought about it as he and Arthur stayed together, watching each other's back as they completed their tasks. He primed the shields as the card indicated, and after that, they made a trip back to the cafeteria to check their progress. The bar was about a third complete. That meant that there were two more thirds between them and victory.

He'd been with Arthur the entire time. He'd had eyes on him. There was no doubt in his mind that Arthur was innocent. That left him three choices.

Eames, he thought, could absolutely pull off a stunt like that and lie about it. Eames was an incredible liar, with a relaxed temperament that made just about anyone want to trust him. He could be blunt, but he was manipulative as well. In fact, Eames seemed to have been designed solely with this game in mind. A few times, Cobb had seen Eames wandering the halls, map in hand, looking for tasks or just exploring the ship. Once, Eames had waved cheerfully, like they weren't fighting for their lives. Against his better judgement, Cobb found himself trusting Eames in the game. He was too good, and it was dangerous. If someone came forward with a suspicion, he had no doubt that Eames could talk his way out of it.

Saito, it was still too early to tell. In spite of all his research, Cobb still had a hard time reading him. He knew a lot, and he was every inch a strategist, but could he pull off a kill as smoothly as the imposter had? Could he fit himself into the role of liar and trickster so easily? _Maybe_ , was the only thought Cobb allowed himself to have about Saito. _Maybe_.

And then there was Ariadne. Poor Ariadne, the clever architect with the games. She'd come into it with so much energy, but now, after only a few hours and one death, Cobb could see the enthusiasm fading as the reality of the situation she'd created weighed on her. Unless, of course, it was all an act. 

He considered, for a moment, that the lottery might not have been random at all. She'd made it, and she could have rigged it to make herself the imposter. Maybe this game was really a test. No, a _showcase_. They'd made no attempt to hide the fact that they were wary with Ariadne. She was young and inexperienced. Maybe the game was her way of proving to them that she had skills enough to hold her own.

Her hands were shaking at the emergency meeting, but hands could shake for lots of reasons. Fear, or adrenaline. Thrill.

"Arthur?" said Cobb as he worked on stabilizing the ship's steering.

"Hmm?" Arthur was downloading data.

"When Ariadne came into the room after we got the power back, how did she look to you?"

Arthur shrugged. "Panicked. Exhausted. She was sweating, poor kid. She must have sprinted the length of the ship."

"Why?"

"What do you mean?" Arthur turned to face him.

"Why would she sprint?"

"To get the power back on, I guess. Do you think-"

Cobb sighed. "I don't know what I think. It's hard to suspect anyone because it's so soon, but we're running out of time. Either we pick someone to eject, or someone innocent is going to die. We need more evidence."

"I don't like suspecting anyone," said Arthur. "It feels weird, but you're right. Do you really think she could have done it?"

"There's evidence. You saw it. It seemed logical to me."

"But Ariadne? A killer?"

"Don't underestimate Ariadne. Besides, she hasn't been getting much sleep lately. I'd say that's the right emotional setup for some murder."

"Hilarious." Arthur rolled his eyes. "Hey, after this, maybe we can-"

His statement was cut short as an ear-splitting alarm cut through the ship. The lights flickered and blacked out as the alarm blared.

"Not again," groaned Arthur. "Let's get back to electrical, I guess."

"No," said Cobb. "It's different."

Sure enough, the lights came back on, but a dark red glow, then back to darkness, pulsing in sync with the alarm. It was a different kind of emergency.

"What's happening?" gasped Arthur. Then, suddenly, he paused and took a breath again. "Hey, that's odd."

"What?" Cobb asked.

"The air is... it's like it's..."

Cobb didn't need to ask again. He hadn't noticed it at first, but his breaths were steadily quickening. There was a thick feeling, like being trapped under a blanket, and his arms felt heavier.

"Oxygen," sputtered Arthur. "Something's wrong with the air pumps or something. Quick, grab the map. Where's the lab?"

Cobb fumbled for it. Everything was happening so fast. The corners of his eyes kept darkening as he tried to open the map. It was like a sleep he had to fight back. It was hardly a realistic way to lose air--dramatized, he thought, for the game--but he couldn't deny the effects. His own weight was almost difficult to hold up, and it had only been a few minutes.

"Hurry," urged Arthur. "Down that hallway. I'm right behind you."

In the pulsing light that was barely enough to see by, Cobb could barely tell where he was going, but he dragged himself down the hall all the same, stumbling only occasionally. He had to gasp for air now, and his vision was narrowing to a tunnel, but he found the doorway to the lab and practically fell in. He could hear footsteps behind him, and then Ariadne was there at his shoulder, standing over the keypad to fix whatever had happened to their air supply.

"Type..." she gasped. "There... on the... the note... the code... hurry..."

"Trying..." he said, squinting to see the numbers. Button-by-button, carefully and as precisely as he could manage, he matched the code and submit it. There was a whirring, and fresh oxygen flooded the room. The alarm stopped blaring. The lights returned to normal.

Cobb sighed and crumpled against the wall, sliding down and lying there, catching his breath. Ariadne rose shakily and shook some life back into her hands. Moments later, Arthur caught up with them, pausing in the door frame to relish the air.

"Wow," said Ariadne. "Go team."

Cobb blinked the haze away. "Where's Eames?"

"Where's Saito?" asked Arthur. "I just saw those two down the hall. I assumed they'd come. I heard Eames behind me. I didn't see him, but I heard him."

Ariadne and Cobb rose and stepped outside, looking both ways down the hall. Weapons appeared to be empty, and around the corner was navigation.

"Split up?" Arthur suggested.

"Dude, did you never watch _Scooby-Doo_?" asked Ariadne. "That's exactly what you're _not_ supposed to do."

So they all took a right, and navigation was empty. So was the hall to shields.

"Eames?" called Ariadne. "Saito?"

Then, all of a sudden, a shout broke through the echoes of Ariadne's calls. Eames was calling for help, and he sounded panicked. Cobb only feared the worst as he and the others followed the sound of the shout through shields and all the way to comms.

There, in the glow between the hallway and the computers, was Eames, kneeling over another body. Saito's body. His expression was nothing but desperation.

And in the dim light, Cobb caught the glint of a utility knife buried in Saito's back.


	7. Knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are again.

"Oh my God," Ariadne blurted. "Already?"

She moved her hand to her belt to go for the radio for the second time in only a few hours, but Eames quickly made a negative sign, holding up his own.

"I can't," he said. "Don't bother. He's not dead."

"Not dead?" said Arthur.

Instantly, they were on their knees, gathered around the body, trying to make sense of everything. It was hard to see on the black of the suit, but the obvious knife wound wasn't the only one the imposter had given Saito. There were multiple cuts in the fabric. Multiple stabs.

"How?" asked Ariadne, frantically trying to get information.

"I don't know. I was just heading to the oxygen lab when the alarm stopped, so I was going back to my tasks." Eames paused, wiping sweat off his face with his sleeve. "I passed communications, and I knew he was in there, but when I called after him there wasn't any response, so I went back, and he was lying on the floor. I don't know how long."

But it didn't take an expert to tell them that it had already been too long. Saito was unresponsive, and his breaths were shallow. Yes, the imposter had failed to kill him instantly, but there was a significant amount of blood there at their feet, where it had been pooling since the attack. No doubt by the time Eames had found him, he was past the point of no return.

"Come on," urged Eames, trying to get some kind of response. Then, turning to the others, "We can't just give up. There's a med bay, right?"

Cobb inhaled sharply through his teeth. "We passed one on the way out of the cafeteria, but I don't know..."

"We have to do something, damn it," said Eames. "Don't just stand there! Help me carry him."

The trek from comms through the cafeteria to the medical bay felt like an eternity, and every second lost was valuable, but they made it, and against all odds, Saito was still alive. Cobb regretted the loss of Yusuf more than ever as he fumbled through a cabinet of supplies: bottles of chemicals he didn't recognize, gauze, tape. The tasks he could do, but this? It was a disaster.

In the brighter light, Saito was deathly pale, and any hope that Eames had had for a possible recovery seemed to be fading as he and Arthur removed the upper part of the suit to check the wounds. They removed the blade, but that only made the bleeding more intense, and there wasn't nearly enough gauze to staunch it. The stabs were hasty, but they were deep.

Briefly, Saito regained something close to consciousness, and fell against Eames' shoulder as they tried the alcohol, cleaning the shallower cuts while Eames applied pressure to the deeper ones.

"Some imposter," muttered Cobb, watching, unable to help.

They were losing ground.

"I am so sorry," murmured Eames, continuing to try his hand at medicine and failing. "I'm so, so sorry."

Cobb understood. The pain couldn't be pleasant. Game or not, it was still real as far as pain. He'd learned this time and time again.

Unsteadily, Saito mustered the strength to grab Eames' wrist and squeeze it, getting his attention. Eames reciprocated the gesture, taking the hand with the intent to reassure, but Saito shook his head.

"No," he whispered hoarsely. "I'm... done. Call it."

He guided Eames' hand lower, to his utility belt, and the loaded gun there.

"Oh," said Eames. "Right."

Reluctantly, he brushed his glove over the gun in the holster, glancing around the room from Cobb to Arthur to Ariadne before unclipping it. Then again to Saito, as if to ask permission. Permission had already been firmly granted.

Ariadne raised her radio, finger on the switch, ready to call another meeting. Eames sighed, apologized again, and squeezed Saito's hand one more time before raising the gun and pulling the trigger.

Then, they were all around the table. No one minded the instant action. No one wanted to stay in that room with the body. They'd all seen the damage.

There was a distinctly different energy this time, Cobb thought, as he looked around the table at the three other survivors. Ariadne's hair had come undone, the flower headband lost in the rush to replenish their lost oxygen. Arthur looked tired. Eames' white uniform was stained with blood.

"So, Mr. Agatha Christie," said Arthur, eyeing Eames warily, "it seems we've gone from _And Then There Were None_ to _Murder on the Orient Express_. Anything to say?"

Eames looked down at his stained gloves. "I'm not sure."

"Anyone count the stabs?" asked Cobb.

"Four," said Ariadne. "One deeper, probably the one that killed him. The other three were shallow, like whoever did it was in a hurry to get out of there."

"Maybe they counted on more time with the oxygen distraction," added Arthur.

"Not to jump to my own defense," said Ariadne, "but I was in the lab. Cobb saw me. Arthur saw me. We know it wasn't Saito, obviously, so that leaves you."

Eames frowned. "I said I was going to the lab too, but I was halfway down the hall when the oxygen levels went back to normal, so I turned back."

Arthur sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, but we need to start voting people off. It's nothing personal, but you were the only one who wasn't present at the oxygen lab. It's process of elimination."

"And you really want to risk losing an innocent crew member?" asked Eames, crossing his arms.

"Arthur's right," said Ariadne. "It's a chance, but we have to start making deductions or we're going to lose."

"You're _going to lose_ because you're about to eject a non-imposter," retorted Eames.

"You _did_ shoot Saito before we could have questioned him," Cobb pointed out.

"I shot Saito because he was going to die anyway. You didn't expect me to let him suffer like that. That wasn't a crime. There was nothing we could have done. Besides," Eames added, "the wounds were in his back, and I found him lying face-down. Chances are he didn't even see who attacked him."

Arthur nodded. "Meaning you could have stabbed him, tried to run, realized we were coming back, and turned around to pretend like you found him there."

Eames glared.

"I'm sorry, Eames," said Ariadne. "It's logic."

***

It was the first time they'd tried the airlock, and it didn't give them any trouble at all. Neither did Eames.

Once he realized that the verdict had been reached, he allowed himself to be taken, and the door to be shut, and he didn't so much as say a word. He smiled, more than a little smugly, and didn't break eye contact as the door locked, sealing him away from the station.

"Well," said Ariadne, "here goes nothing."

They made Cobb do it. He took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the lever on the wall, taking one last look at the condemned.

Arthur waved. Eames blew a kiss and flipped him off with a white glove.

Cobb pulled the lever, and he was gone in the blink of an eye, ripped into the vacuum of space by an unseen force.

They all watched the bar display over their heads, waiting nervously.

***

_Eames was not The Imposter._

_1 Imposter remains._


	8. Imposter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two players and one imposter left. Things get tense.

"Damn it."

Arthur punched a fist into his hand, sighing. Then, there was a deafening silence. The three of them stood there, staring at the empty airlock, and then the reality of it hit them.

There were three left, and one imposter among them.

"I say we wait it out," said Cobb. "Question each other. The killer can't handle that kind of pressure. They'll snap."

Arthur pointed to the task bar. "How about that, huh? I have two more to do, and then we'll win. We won't have to risk ejecting someone else. Come on, let's finish up."

"No," said Ariadne firmly.

Cobb and Arthur stared at her. "No?"

"No one's going anywhere," she said, "because there's no need. There are only three of us. We're just wasting time. There's no point in prolonging this any more." She smiled. "I know who the imposter is."

"I see." Cobb frowned. "And you've got evidence to support this claim?"

"Undebatable evidence."

"Let's have it, then," said Arthur warily.

Ariadne sat down at the table. "First, hands on the table. I don't want anyone going for their gun."

Reluctantly, Arthur and Cobb did as they were told. Neither wanted to be helpless, but they had to comply.

"Saito," said Ariadne, "was stabbed. This is obvious. The imposter, with unlimited ammunition, made a conscious and stupid choice to murder someone with a knife. They failed, but they also succeeded."

"We know," said Arthur. "We were there. We saw the body."

"There aren't any spare knives on this ship," said Ariadne. "I should know. I designed it. There were six in total; one per person. So you can agree that whoever did the stabbing and left their knife in Saito's back is now knife-less."

"Obviously," said Cobb impatiently.

"So check your belts, boys."

Cobb reached down and grabbed his, setting it on the table.

"This is ridiculous," said Arthur. "We all still have our..."

Suddenly, Arthur turned pale.

"What?" asked Cobb.

"My knife," said Arthur. "It's gone."

Ariadne produced a knife from her belt and shook it smugly in the air before setting it on the table.

All eyes turned to Arthur.

"That's impossible," he stammered. "I had it. I swear I had it. I must have dropped it."

"Yeah," said Ariadne. "Right into Saito, you dropped it."

" _No_ ," said Arthur. He turned to Cobb in panic. "Dom, I didn't kill Saito. I couldn't have. You saw me there with you in the oxygen lab."

"Arthur, I want to believe you, but-"

 _"You have to believe me!"_ Arthur's voice turned panicked. "I don't know how to explain this to you, but there's no way I'm the imposter. Please, just trust me. I genuinely don't know what happened to my knife."

Cobb wanted to believe him with every bone in his body, but he couldn't deny the evidence that had been presented. He stared at Arthur sadly.

"Don't lie to me, Arthur."

"Besides," Arthur added, "I couldn't have, and I couldn't have killed Yusuf. We were in the same room when he was killed. You had eyes on me the whole time."

"Except the blackout," Ariadne pointed out. "He couldn't have seen you then."

"No one could see anything," retorted Arthur. "And you expect me to pull off a murder?"

"Arthur was with me for Yusuf's death," said Cobb, "but you were behind me for Saito's. I didn't actually have eyes on you then. Though it was hardly enough time for a murder. You would have had to walk through walls to pull that off."

Ariadne made an incredulous gesture. "And yet, no knife. Come on, Sherlock Holmes. He's obviously lying."

"I'm not sure," said Cobb.

"How can you not be sure?"

Cobb thought for a moment. He didn't want to believe it. Arthur had had plenty of chances to kill him, but he hadn't. If he was really the imposter, wouldn't Cobb be dead by now? Besides, they were doing tasks together, in electric.

Then, the realization struck him at the same time it struck Arthur.

"He's not the imposter," said Cobb. "He can't be. Ariadne, stab the table."

She laughed. "What?"

"You heard me. Take out your knife again and stab the table. Just do it."

Ariadne unclipped the knife from her belt and raised it for force, then drove the blade down into the soft plastic surface of the table. It should have stuck, and it would have, but it didn't. The second the tip of the blade made contact with the table, it folded in. Ariadne quickly dropped it to avoid slicing her hand.

Immediately, Arthur grabbed the knife. "It's mine, alright. Good thinking."

Ariadne opened her mouth, stammering, stunned. "I... I didn't..."

"Arthur broke his knife when we were doing tasks in electric," said Cobb. "It doesn't lock anymore. He even said that murder with that knife would be impossible. Which means that the murder weapon that disappeared with Saito's body was not, in fact, Arthur's."

Arthur smiled. "So I didn't lose my knife. Someone took it from me, with the intention of framing me for murder, used their own knife to kill Saito, and replaced theirs with mine, not taking into account the fact that my knife is not identical to the others anymore, and not fit to do any killing." He grinned. "Clever girl."

Ariadne sputtered. "But I didn't. You... you had to have replaced it." She glanced at Cobb, the panic in her eyes rising to a frenzy. "I couldn't kill Saito! Come on. Do you seriously think I'd stab someone?"

"On the contrary, Miss Ariadne. I don't doubt you at all. You seem like a very intelligent, capable person," said Cobb. "And that's why I'm voting you out. You very intelligently and capably framed Arthur, and it was brilliant, but we're professionals. Good job all the same, and thank you for the game."

Ariadne was gripping the table in a vaguely _Ace Attorney_ stance, and looked from Arthur to Cobb and back again, desperate for anything resembling a way out. There was none. She looked at Arthur once more and relaxed, even going so far as to smile.

"Fine," she said, smirking. "Good game."

They didn't have to drag her to the airlock, as Cobb had expected. She walked. No, she strutted, with that same cocky attitude Eames had taken to his demise. She stood, hands on her hips, while Arthur closed the door in her face, only a panel of glass between them.

Arthur looked at Cobb, uncertain.

"Do it," said Cobb. "Let's get this over with."

Ariadne smiled and waved at Cobb before the void snatched her away. Something about it made him uneasy, even though he'd won.

"Clever girl indeed," he sighed.

"Yep," said Arthur, stretching and strolling away from the lever. "Too smart for her own good."

Cobb glanced up at the display, awaiting the message, the all-clear to wake up.

"I'm making her buy us all coffee after this," he said, chuckling to himself.

***

_Ariadne was not The Imposter._

_1 Imposter remains._

***

He turned around just in time to see Arthur's gun aimed right between his eyes.


	9. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well that was... an adventure.

"Oh," said Cobb. " _Oh_."

Arthur smiled. "Sorry."

Cobb smiled back. "You clever bastard."

"Hey, you know me. We've played games together. I don't half-ass anything. I play to win."

"Don't you think I deserve an explanation?" asked Cobb. "You know, before..."

"I'll tell you later," said Arthur. 

He squeezed the trigger.

***

Cobb woke up with a gasp, almost falling out of his chair. Across from him sat Arthur, unhooking himself from the machine, still grinning. As Cobb rubbed the sleep haze out of his eyes, the room burst into applause. Arthur gave a few smug bows.

"Now," said Yusuf, "will someone _please_ tell me what just happened?"

"Arthur just kicked our collective ass," groaned Cobb. "And I have no idea how."

Arthur laughed. "Weren't you listening to Ariadne's instructions? The imposter can use vents to go between rooms. Just cut the lights, one quick hop through the wall, and I was behind Yusuf. I knew he was distracted at the computer, so there wouldn't be any struggle. I saw my opportunity, and I took it." 

Saito gasped. "That explains the straight shot from behind."

"I didn't think about shooting from the doorway. You guys almost had me there," Arthur laughed.

"The business with the knife?" asked Cobb.

"Swapped mine with Ariadne's in the oxygen confusion. Jumped back through the vents and took out Saito. I probably would have killed him if I hadn't heard Eames coming back down the hall. I had to speed things up a little and I got clumsy, but I did get out of there in time to make it back to the lab with you guys."

"Effectively framing me for Saito's murder," sighed Eames, giving a resentful few claps. "Damn good show."

"I made a point of leaving the knife in Saito," Arthur continued, "so Ariadne would notice the absence of what she thought was mine and call me on it. The only problem was that I'd already made the switch, which made _her_ look guilty. Cobb, being my friend, took my testimony and the evidence on the table, and he gave me the vote I needed to get Ariadne out of there."

He turned back to Cobb, smiling.

"So," he added, "you only lost because you were so smart. If you hadn't thought to check the knife Ariadne had in her belt, I would have been voted off."

Cobb shook his head slowly, but his resentful look turned to a smile, which presently became a laugh, and they were all laughing in the warehouse.

"Don't worry," said Arthur. "I'll make a coffee run after this, and I'll pay. I hope you can all forgive me."

"It's fine," said Cobb. "Really, it's fine. Let's just never speak of this again."

Then, Cobb spun in the chair, pointing a finger at Ariadne.

"And no more Among Us," he added. "Ever."

"That's a shame," she said, laughing. "I really think you guys would be good at it."


End file.
